Never Take Chances

6th March 2019

It is becoming all too common to hear on the news of a dog attack on a
child.

There is never a reasonable amount of time to leave dogs and children
alone together. The list of variables is huge as to when or if an
incident will happen: the sequence of events as interpreted by the dog,
the dog's history and associations, the environment and situation, the
behaviour of the child, the temperament of the dog, etc, etc, etc...
The
bottom line is, it is NEVER safe.
Only when parents take all precautions and
kids are taught how to behave around dogs that bites will not occur
and the dogs and certain breeds are not blamed for human
mistakes. See the below for helpful tips to keep all safe:

TIPS
FOR PARENTS

Never leave a child or baby alone
with a dog.

When visiting friends or relatives,
who have a dog, don’t allow your child to play in the yard unsupervised. If
that’s not possible, ask the owners to put the dog away.

Do not allow your child to feed a dog
unsupervised, as some dogs can be very protective of food and never allow your
dog to snatch food from your child.

Do not allow your child to pull on
the dog’s collar to lead it outside the house – it could bite them. The dog
should be taught to respond to a verbal command.

Children without adult supervision
should not be allowed to walk a dog. A child could unwittingly be dragged into
a fight with another dog.

Never let children discipline a dog.

Your child should always precede your
dog through a door or gate.

Never buy a dog as a toy substitute.
Dogs are living, breathing creatures with feelings. Children should be taught
this fact from an early age and shown how to treat dogs with respect.

RULES
FOR CHILDREN

Never pat a strange dog, even if its
owner is present.

Stay away from a dog while it’s
eating and sleeping.

Stop your bike if chased while
riding.

Never retrieve a ball from someone
else’s yard.

If visiting a friend, who has a dog,
ask them to put the dog away if you want to play.

Stay away from a dog that has
puppies.

Stay away from a dog that is tied up.

Never pull a dog’s tails or ears –
dogs feel pain too.

Never tease a dog or make it angry.

Stand totally still if a dog runs at
you barking. Cover your face with your hands.

If knocked to the ground by a dog,
roll into a ball, cover your face with your arms and stay as still as you
possibly can. Don’t try to get up.

training tips

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